


Touch the Rain and Feel the Summer Breeze

by kaleidomusings



Series: Splinters of a Distant Galaxy [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family, Family Feels, Friendship, M/M, Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Service Animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-26 18:32:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6250825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidomusings/pseuds/kaleidomusings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poe is hopelessly in love with the cute librarian at his school (and no one is at all surprised Finn loves him right back except for him).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Touch the Rain and Feel the Summer Breeze

**Author's Note:**

  * For [victoriousscarf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoriousscarf/gifts).



> Written for the [30 Day AU Challenge](http://kaleidomusings.tumblr.com/post/140746555125).
> 
> This is for "high school".

There's an armchair in the library that Poe likes to sit on during his free period. It's big, plush, and so comfortable it makes him feel like he's curled up on a cloud. Best of all it's out of the way of the general reading area and other people, which allows him to remove BB-8's vest so she can relax too, which is why Solo seeking him out just to complain about BB-8 isn't just ridiculous, it's downright insulting. 

Poe considers ignoring him out of principle and keep reading his book, but BB-8's already stirred and looks up from his lap even before Solo clears his throat. But Poe still takes his time marking his page and stretching his arms over his head, like a cat unfolding from its nap, before giving him his most obnoxious grin. "Hey, Solo. What's up?"

"It's Ren now. Kylo Ren," Solo says, voice low and angry. 

Poe shrugs. Their parents have known each other since before either of them were born, so he refuses to call Solo anything other than Ben Solo, because that's who he'll always be to him. Besides, Kylo Ren is an absurd name and he enjoys pissing Solo off by not using it. "Ben Solo is the name your parents gave you. So I'm just going to stick with that."

Solo scowls at him before changing the subject, unable to make a good comeback but too petty to admit defeat. "What's your _pet_ doing here, Dameron?" he asks instead. 

"BB-8 is more than just my pet," Poe snaps, his own temper flaring. BB-8 is a certified service dog and his companion, which is something Solo knows better than anyone else at this school. Trying to pretend Poe doesn't have a good reason to bring her with him to school makes him more furious than anything. 

As if sensing his distress, BB-8 gets to her feet and stands over him protectively. It would probably be a little more impressive if she wasn't so tiny, but he appreciates the sentiment all the same. 

Solo sneers and Poe is about to leap up from his chair to punch him in the face, damn the consequences, when a familiar voice interrupts. 

"Excuse me." The student librarian - _Finn_ \- glares at Solo. "I have to ask you to leave."

"On what grounds?" Solo demands loudly, drawing the attention of the other students around them. 

But Finn doesn't back down and answers calmly, "For disturbing others and raising your voice in the library."

Solo looms over him, mouth twisted in bitter smile. "Do you have any idea who my parents are?"

Nothing is worse than Solo trying to use his parents' influence to get his own way, especially since Poe doubts Han or Leia would ever stand for it, but Finn doesn't seem intimidated in the least. "Kind of hard not to know the mayor and her husband, but I doubt they'd want to get a call from the principal telling them that their son violated the school's no harassment policy. The one Mayor Organa issued herself."

Solo snarls at them, but storms out of the library without saying another word. Poe strokes BB-8's back until the tension bleeds out of her before smiling at Finn. "Thanks for the rescue," he says gratefully.

"I should have come over sooner," Finn replies. He looks strangely apologetic about it, as if it's his fault for being busy shelving books instead of keeping an eye on self entitled brats. 

"It's not your fault," Poe assures him, although Finn doesn't look very convinced. "Really. Solo has always been a dick."

Poe knows it better than most. Since they were kids, Solo has had a nasty temper and got rough when things didn't go his way. He once shoved Poe out of a tree for climbing up faster than him and Poe fractured his arm in three places. He ended up having to go to the hospital to get surgery and still has a scar from the operation, but Solo swears to this day that it was an accident. That was Poe's own fault for falling, despite having never fallen out of a tree before or since then. 

"I'm sorry anyway," Finn says. After a short pause, he adds, "And I'm Finn. I didn't get to introduce myself before."

It takes all of Poe's self-control not to blurt out that he knows that already from badgering Rey, the field hockey captain who is not only Finn's best friend but also his foster sister. Rey, who is pretty and scary and can probably knock out someone's teeth with that stick of hers. Who heavily implied that would be his immediate future if he ever hurt her brother. "I'm Poe. Poe Dameron."

Finn ducks his head, as if shy. "I already knew your name. I see you come in here all the time but could never work up the courage to really say hi."

Poe gapes at him, because that's certainly news to him. "Since when?"

"Since the term started," Finn admits, smiling hesitantly. 

Not only does the cute librarian he's been crushing on know his name, he's noticed him long before Poe noticed him. It feels like a dream. 

Poe doesn't realize how much he's staring like an idiot until BB-8 huffs and Finn's smile falters, suddenly unsure. "That was weird, wasn't it? Sorry. I'll go now."

Feeling like his heart might burst right out of his chest, Poe smiles and says, "Hey, Finn."

Finn freezes in place from his less than subtle attempt to sidle away, looking apprehensive but hopeful. "Yeah?"

"Can I get your number?"

\--

"I hear congratulations are in order," Jessika says as she drops into the seat next to his. 

Poe undoes the straps of BB-8's vest and tucks it away in his bag as she curls up next to his chair. He looks down at her fondly for a moment before glancing at Jessika. "Congratulations for what?"

"You and Finn," she says slowly, as if Poe is being obtuse on purpose. 

Usually Poe doesn't blush, but he can feel his cheeks grow hot as she grins at him. "I just got his phone number an hour ago. How do you even know that?"

"I have _ways_ ," Jessika says, trying to sound mystical and mysterious.

He laughs. "You mean a certain field hockey captain and her little skirt, don't you?"

"Excuse you, Rey totally rocks that skirt." Jessika suddenly narrows her eyes at him. "You better not be interested in her too. You already have your baby-faced librarian. The fierce and beautiful amazon is strictly off limits."

"I promise I don't think of Rey that way," Poe says. Jessika has had a crush on Rey for almost as long as he's had one on Finn. He wouldn't do that to her. Besides, no matter how cute Rey might be, Finn is the only one he's interested in. "But Finn and I are just friends."

Jessika rolls her eyes so forcefully it's a miracle she doesn't give herself a headache. "Sure. _Friends_."

Poe shoots her a look. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"We," she gestures between them, "Are friends. You, on the other hand, are hopelessly in love with your boy."

Poe wants to protest that because Finn doesn't belong to anyone, but his phone buzzes in his pocket before he can. When he glances at the screen, he feels his spirits lift when he sees it's a message from Finn. 

_If Solo bothers you again, I'll ask Rey to "accidentally" trip him with her field hockey stick._

_Tempting_ , Poe immediately types back. _But I don't want to get her disqualified from playing. She is the captain, after all._

_How about I treat you tonight instead?_

Poe stares at down at his phone, shocked but a little impressed too. He had no idea Finn was so smooth. _Sure_ , he replies, just as the teacher -Mr. Ackbar- and the rest of the class start filtering into the room. 

He tucks his phone back in his pocket to find Jessika giving him a very knowing look. Even BB-8 seems to be judging him before curling up to take a nap, the little traitor.  

"Stop looking at me like that, Pava," he grumbles and turns away.

"Whatever you say, Dameron."

\--

Poe doesn't have a spectacular reason for liking Finn. 

He just wanders into the library one day because he has a hole in his schedule and wants a quiet place where people won't stare at him or BB-8. Every time he comes in after that, he smiles at the boy sitting behind the reference desk because he's kind of cute, but never really gives him much thought beyond that. At least, not until the day he smiles back and says, "That's a nice jacket."

And Poe, who loves the leather flight jacket Luke got him for his sixteenth birthday, doesn't stand a chance. 

Ever since then, Poe always makes sure to spend a little time talking to Finn. Sometimes they complain about one of their classes or an assignment, or sometimes Finn will recommend a book for him to read and they'll briefly discuss a chapter from it. From time to time they'll share a personal fact about themselves, like how Poe is an only child while Finn is the oldest  of eight foster kids. Sometimes Poe talks about his mom, who is a pilot, and Finn talks about Maz, his caretaker and guardian. 

Maybe it's a little unusual that they don't know each other's names at first, but there's a connection between them that Poe has never felt with another person before and by then it's a little awkward to ask the cute librarian for his name. Instead he goes digging for it, although in his defense Finn digs for his name too. Poe isn't sure from who just yet, he'll have to ask the next time he sees him. 

Then again, he's not entirely sure he's going to live long enough to do so. 

Especially when Rey corners him while Poe stops by his locker to switch out his textbooks and gives him a long hard stare. BB-8 looks up at her hopefully, because for some strange reason she loves Rey, even though Rey only smiles at her briefly.

He doesn't know how a girl wearing an oversized school sweatshirt with her hair tied back in a messy bun can look so menacing, but somehow she manages it. Then again, it could be due to the field hockey bag she has slung over one shoulder. There's a danger in that even if her hockey stick isn't visible. 

She continues to stare at him and the silence becomes so oppressive that Poe can't help opening his big dumb mouth. "Can I help you?"

"I like you," Rey says and Poe doesn't know how she makes it sound like a threat, but it definitely makes him want to flee for his life. 

"Thanks?"

"And Finn _really_ likes you."

Poe brightens up at that, but is still wary. "I really like him too," he says, in case she's questioning whether his feelings are sincere or not. 

Her chilly demeanor thaws and she smiles at him, her eyes warm. "Good." Then, to Poe's surprise, she starts _blushing_. "So is Jess seeing anyone?"

Poe blinks. He never expected Finn's sister would ever ask him if his best friend is single, and yet here they are. When his life became so weird? "Um. No. She's not."

Rey seems pleased by that answer, because she shoves a bag of dog biscuits at him that he swears weren't there before. "Those are for BB-8," she says and then leaves before Poe can respond. 

He glances down at BB-8, who looks up at him with a hopeful expression. "I'll give them to you on your break," Poe promises as he digs out his phone. 

 _I think your sister might have a girlfriend by the end of the day_ , he texts Finn. 

 _Oh thank god,_ is the instant reply, _Rey's been pining for her for months._

\--

As first dates go, spending the rest of the afternoon at the park isn't exactly the most glamorous, but there are a lot of trees and a big pond nearby, which gives BB-8 the freedom to run around without her vest and munch on the treats Rey got her. He and Finn sit down at one of the picnic tables with two paper cups of coffee and a takeaway box of cheesecake from the cafe down the street. Courtesy of Finn, of course. 

"So what does BB-8 stand for?" he asks.

Poe isn't surprised by the question, because everyone is always curious about that, but he is startled to realize that -for the first time in his life- he actually wants to answer. "It was an inside joke I had with my dad."

Finn leans forward, bright eyed and eager, which makes Poe smile. "Yeah?"

"Yup. We were huge sci-fi nerds and big on droids in particular, so my dad made up a serial number for me. BB-8. Because I'd call my parents Mama and Papa and they would call me Bebe. BB. And the 8 because I was eight when he came up with it."

"Your dad sounds like a funny guy," Finn says with a laugh. 

"He was," Poe replies and shakes his head when Finn tries to apologize. He's had enough apologies to last a lifetime. "Five years ago, we were driving home after dropping Mom off at the airport and got hit by a drunk driver."

The driver swerved onto the wrong side of the road and hit them straight on, the impact knocking Poe out. When he opened his eyes, he was being pulled out of the wreckage by rescuers and looked straight at his father's bloody and lifeless face, when last Poe saw him he'd been joking and laughing without a care in the world. 

"The paramedics said Dad must have taken off his seatbelt and used his body to shield me from the impact. They said it's the only thing that kept me alive. If he just kept it on, maybe-"

He stops mid-sentence and Finn reaches across the table to link their fingers together, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "He thought you were worth it, and I'm grateful to him for that because otherwise we never would have met."

Poe squeezes back. His mother tells him pretty much the same thing, that his father did what he could to protect him because they love him so much. About how thankful she is that her husband sacrificed himself to save her son. "Shit," he says with a breathless laugh. "That was too heavy for a first date."

Finn's eyes dance in the late afternoon sun. "Is this a date?"

Poe gives his hand another squeeze. "I don't know. You tell me."

"I certainly hope it is," Finn says, soft and shy.

And Poe can't do anything else than leaning in to press his lips against Finn's, tasting the perfect blend of bitter and sweet on his mouth. 

\--

Poe and BB-8 drop into the library to find his favorite armchair already occupied. 

"What the hell," he says, but there's no real heat to it. The way Rey and Jessika are curled up together on it is so adorable that he feels cavities forming in his mouth. 

"This is our spot now," Jessika says as Rey plays with her hair. "Go find your own."

"Just leave the dog," Rey adds.

Poe rolls his eyes, but obediently leans down and works to pull off BB-8's vest. 

As soon as he gets her free, BB-8's whole body shakes with the force of her tail wagging. She whines with excitement and leaps onto the chair, climbing up on Jessika and Rey, who squirm to make room for her. 

"I don't think you're ever getting your dog back."

Poe turns and grins so wide he probably looks like an complete idiot, but he doesn't care. "Hi."

"Hi," Finn says and lowers his head to kiss Poe's cheek very gently. 

"Gross. I'm grossed out by how cute you two are," Jessika says. "Get out of here before I lose my appetite."

"I'm the one with the free period," Poe complains, even as he wraps his arms around Finn. "What are you two doing here anyway?"

"Studying," Rey says as BB-8 leans up to lick her face and Jessika fiddles around with her phone. 

"They're going to keep an eye on BB-8," Finn explains. "I already asked Mr. Calrissian about it so we can grab an early lunch."

"Sounds good." Poe shoots Rey a stern look. "But stop giving BB-8 so many treats."

Rey shrugs. "No promises."

Poe frowns, but Finn laughs at him and grabs his hand, leading him away before he can start scolding her. 

It's only as soon as the library doors shut behind them that Poe brings their hands to his mouth and kisses Finn's fingers, smiling at the bashful look he gets in return and feeling happier than he's ever been in a very long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Some of the details in this story are based on my own experiences in high school. Field hockey was a popular sport and the team were minor celebrities. (And they looked super cute in their field hockey skirts.) I also pictured my old high school library while writing this, which I liked to hang out in the back of, although it didn't have an armchair. 
> 
> It's never outright said, but Poe has a form of PTSD from the accident and his father's death, which is why he has a therapy dog. I did some research on whether or not service dogs of any kind are allowed to be at schools and it seems like it's pretty up in the air, although there have been some exceptions. But I have limited knowledge on PTSD and service animals in general, so I apologize if there are any inaccuracies. 
> 
> Mama and Papa are Spanish for Mom and Dad. Bebe means baby. 
> 
> Thanks for reading. Please leave kudos and comments to let me know what you think!


End file.
